India got their much-needed breakthrough in the third session of the first Test against Australia, Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head. Head went for a duck, bowled by Jasprit Bumrah while giving a ball that seamed back. Bumrah got one at a cracking start, and Mitchell Marsh followed soon to leave Australia in trouble. Labuschagne fought hard to score 72 off 145 balls before he launched into an aggressive shot when the new ball arrived after the drinks break, which cost him his wicket and disrupted a valuable third-wicket partnership with Steve Smith.
Bumrah clean-bowled Usman Khawaja before that, and that was the fifth time that he got rid of the Australian opener in this series alone. However, India could capture the wicket only once in the second session as Khawaja and Labuschagne stood their ground against a potent Indian pace duo. They toiled hard to get Australia to a decent 176/2 by Tea.
The opening session featured a match of the types of presentation styles. Opener Sam Konstas, who was playing a debut match, electrified the Australian team by scoring a half-century in fifty-two balls. His free-flowing nature bored the Indian bowlers of their natural line and length. Konstas’ aggression also provoked an argument with Virat Kohli, where an umpire had to intervene after a shoulder charge. Konstas was left to take on the bowlers as Ravindra Jadeja finally bowled him out for a well-made 60 off 65 balls after the drinks break.
Earlier, Australian captain Pat Cummins decided to bat after he won the toss in the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. India used both wrist spinners in the playing eleven and also asked talented batsman Shubman Gill to sit out and made Washington Sundar an additional spinner. Squaring the series 1-1 following a rain washout at the Gabba, both sides are equally determined to clinch victory in this deciding fourth Test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy.
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